


A Dream I Can't Place

by languidlight



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Fluff, Getting Together, Haikyuu Halloweek 2018, Light Angst, M/M, the least spooky ghost story ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-10 22:39:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16463726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/languidlight/pseuds/languidlight
Summary: Iwaizumi is rarely asked to deal with animal spirits. Iwaizumi is also rarely asked by Kyoutani for… well, anything.Which is why he’s quite surprised to get a call from a distressed Kyoutani sayingmy chihuahua is fucking haunting meandplease get here immediatelyandsorryandthanks.





	A Dream I Can't Place

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my fic for day seven of Haikyuu Halloween Week! I wrote for the "ghosts" prompt!

For as long as he can remember, Iwaizumi has been able to feel ghosts.

Sometimes he can hear them. Sometimes he can see them. But he can always feel them.

According to his mom, his grandma had been the same way. She would always tell her daughter stories of houses she had visited and ghosts she had met. She would talk about how the ghosts would always be stuck on something. Whether it be a person or an object or an emotion, they were stuck and couldn't leave. She didn't know where they had to go. But she knew they had to leave. And she would help show them the exit.

His mom doesn’t have the same ability. Despite her also having fairy blood in her, she could never feel the ghosts like her mother did.

“Maybe it skips a generation,” she always says, “but I can’t say I’m sad to miss out. Seems like a lot of work to deal with the undead and their baggage!”

But it really isn’t too bad. Sure, the constant calls from Oikawa saying that one of the many plants he has killed _must_ be haunting him, it _must_ have cursed him, because all his plants keep dying and oh no, there's no way the great Oikawa Tooru is just shit at growing plants. 

But really, really, it isn’t too bad. It gave him a path in life. He’s at college learning everything he can about spirits. And, ghosts don’t get hung up on petty shit. If a spirit decides to take an extended vacation in the living world, well then, it’s serious. That means there aren’t many ghosts in general, especially when it comes to animals (and plants). 

Which is why he’s quite surprised to get a call from a distressed Kyoutani saying _my chihuahua is fucking haunting me_ and _please get here immediately_ and _sorry_ and _thanks._

\------------------

Iwaizumi muses, while running over to Kyoutani’s apartment in the rain, that Kyoutani has never asked him for a favor before. Not when they played volleyball together. Not when Kyoutani was choosing a university. Not when Kyoutani’s mom passed. Not when his dad kicked him out.

That's why he is running, soaked to the core, instead of getting a ride or waiting out the storm. Kyoutani has always been pretty bad at reaching out to others. He always needs help, any human does, but he likes to think he can tough it out on his own. So Iwaizumi is running. Kyoutani needs him. Even if there is no ghost, which is most likely, Kyoutani needs him.

\------------------

“Sorry I’m dripping all over the floor,” Iwaizumi says, shaking out his hair, even though he already knows Kyoutani doesn’t give a shit.

“I don’t give a shit. Come in.” Kyoutani motions to his couch and plops down. 

Iwaizumi walks forward and instinctually looks down to make sure he isn’t stepping on any dog toys. Or the dog playing with them. He made that mistake once, and he’s not eager to repeat it.

But there are no toys. And there is no dog.

“It’s weird, right?” Kyoutani says, not making eye contact. “She isn’t here to bark at you and nip at your ankles and beg for treats. She isn’t here. But she also is.”

Iwaizumi sighs and sits down, making sure to give Kyoutani his space. “Why didn’t you tell me she passed?”

Kyoutani grunts and shrugs. It should probably annoy Iwaizumi. It does annoy him, a bit, a lot, that Kyoutani didn’t reach out to him. But also, it’s just so typically Kyoutani, that he can’t help but chuckle. 

“Ok, then, why do you think she’s haunting you?” Iwaizumi questions, leaving out that he already, surprisingly, feels her presence.

“I know she is. Sometimes, even though I put them away, I wake up and her toys are out. Or I hear her scratching at the door wanting to be let out.” Kyoutani rubs his eyes. He has bags under them, somehow even darker than usual. He’s even missing his signature eyeliner.

Iwaizumi rubs his back. Kyoutani flinches for a second but relaxes under his touch. “There’s something more, isn’t there?” 

Kyoutani hangs his head low. “Yeah. She always used to sleep in my bed. Right curled up in my arms. But even though she isn't physically here, I feel her. She’s still warm in my arms, but she's never there when I look.” He points to his under-eye bags. “Obviously, I haven’t slept in a while.”

“That’s pretty normal stuff for a spirit. But honestly, pets don't linger without a really good reason.” Kyoutani looks away. “Why is she still here?”

“I don’t know,” Kyoutani whispers.

\------------------

Iwaizumi decides to stay the night to observe. Kyoutani was reluctant at first. He’s like a turtle. He sticks his head back in his shell when he's scared. And Iwaizumi was trying to crawl into his shell with him. Iwaizumi doesn’t know what it would feel like to be a turtle with a human trying to get in your shell, but he can imagine it’s like when there's a rock in your shoe that you can't seem to shake out.

It’s only eight o’clock, not yet time for sleep, so Iwaizumi decides it's time for a movie.

“Isn’t watching some awful ghost movie… in bad taste right now?” 

Iwaizumi laughs. “I guess, but any horror movie’s portrayal of a ghost is so far off, it’s really a comedy. And anyways, it’s almost Halloween! It’s time to get spooked!”

Kyoutani groans but concedes, getting up to go make popcorn.

\------------------

Iwaizumi thinks, as Kyoutani grips his arm hard enough to bruise and hides behind his back, an awful ghost movie really wasn’t the best idea. As the protagonist trips in front of the ghost that’s been chasing her for 15 minutes now and Kyoutani buries his face into Iwaizumi’s shoulder, he also thinks this was a perfect idea.

Kyoutani clinging to him, while slightly painful, is nice. It’s warm. It’s cute to see the younger man so vulnerable. 

Lucky for Kyoutani, the movie ends right after the protagonist is killed. However, he doesn’t release his crushing grip on Iwaizumi’s arm, even as the credits start rolling.

“Kyoutani?”

“Hmm?”

“I get you’re freaked, but also you’re cutting off the circulation to my hand…” 

Kyoutani releases his bicep. “Oh. Sorry…” the tips of his ears turn a pretty pink. 

“It’s no problem,” the corners of Iwaizumi’s lips turn up, “ready for sleep?” 

“Yeah, yeah, if I can even sleep after that…”

\------------------

Kyoutani takes the bed, obviously, while Iwaizumi settles down into one of those comfortable bowl-shaped chairs.

Not that he plans on sleeping anyways. With a human spirit, it can take weeks, even months, to figure out why they're lagging behind. But usually, with a pet, the reason is pretty straightforward. If the pet had a sibling or mate they grew up with, they might linger for a bit. Or if their owner had been particularly abusive, they might seek a little revenge. Not that the revenge of an animal spirit is particularly complex beside erie barking and biting.

Iwaizumi knows it isn’t the second option. Kyoutani loved that dog. He is pretty sure if, given the options to either save the world or save his dog, he’d go on a nice walk with his chihuahua while the world burned around them. He’d had her since he was three, which kinda explains her weird as hell name. But seriously, why someone would name an adorable 5 pound Chihuahua ‘Killer’, Iwaizumi will never understand. 

Iwaizumi had gone on many walks with Kyoutani and Killer. She must have been the fittest dog in Japan, because these were no casual walks. Hikes, miles long, where Killer would spend half of it on the ground and half in Kyoutani’s arms. But she always kept her cute little dog smile on her face.

It is honestly odd to see Kyoutani without Killer. They had been a package deal for as long as Iwaizumi could remember. Guess that's what happens when the closest ally in your own home since you were a child is a dog.

\------------------

Iwaizumi’s reading some article Daichi had sent him about fish spirits when rustling noises from the bed interrupt him. It’s probably been about two hours since Kyoutani fell asleep.

Iwaizumi gets up at walks up to the other side of the bed, where he can see Kyoutani’s face.

The younger boy is sweating profusely. He has a tight grimace on his face, like he's holding back tears. His arms are positioned like they're hugging something small that isn’t there, as his fists clench and unclench as if trying to get a grip on the air. His breathing is rapidly speeding up.

Iwaizumi knows a night terror when he sees one. When they were little, Oikawa used to have them. They scared Iwaizumi at first, but Oikawa’s mom explained to him that everything was ok, Oikawa just had them when he was over-tired. Iwaizumi learned not to wake his friend from them, even if he yelled, and that Oikawa wouldn’t even remember them in the morning. They stopped when he started middle school. 

Ah, Iwaizumi thinks, Killer used to help with these, didn’t she? That's why she’s lingering. He still needs her.

Kyoutani lets out a yelp and bolts up straight, tucking his head between his knees. It startles Iwaizumi, but he doesn’t move.“Kyoutani?”

No answer except the boy’s heavy panting.

Iwaizumi tries again and reaches out, spreading his hand over Kyoutani’s knee. 

Kyoutani jerks his head up. “Iwaizumi?...”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“I’m sorry, I-” Kyoutani rubs his hands over his face, “I forgot you were there.”

Iwaizumi scoots closer to him. 

“That was a night terror, right?”

“Yeah, it- I used to not get them as much but…” Kyoutani trails off and leans his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, “I didn’t realize Killer comforted me through them. She would help me get back to sleep after them, I guess. It was just knowing I wasn’t the only living thing here. It helped me… not spiral after one.”

Iwaizumi runs his fingers through the faux blonde’s close-cropped hair. “Do you want me to sleep with you?”

“WHAT?” Kyoutani jolts away, bright red.

Iwaizumi slaps both his hands to his face in embarrassment. “Our clothes would stay on, dumbass! Just sleeping in the same bed. I think having a warm body next to you will help.”

“Oh…” Kyoutani seems to weigh his options for a second. “Yeah... I’d like that.”

Iwaizumi leans backward and Kyoutani immediately drops his head onto the other man's chest. 

“Kyoutani?...”

“What? If I have the chance to use your pecs as a pillow, I’m gonna do it.”

Iwaizumi laughs at that, tugging Kyoutani closer. “Good night, Kyoutani.”

“Night.”

Iwaizumi figures he’ll tell him in the morning that Killer’s spirit has left, mission complete.

\------------------

“Did you sleep well?”

Kyoutani blinks at him from the entrance to the kitchen. “That's the most sleep I’ve gotten all week.”

Iwaizumi chuckles and hands him a plate of waffles. He had slept pretty well too, even with Kyoutani clinging to him like a koala. “I can’t cook for shit, but you had freezer waffles, which happen to be my specialty. Dig in.”

Kyoutani sits down at the small table in his kitchen next to a window that shines golden light onto his sleepy face. Iwaizumi sits down across from him with his own plate of slightly soggy blueberry waffles.

“You still look beat,” Iwaizumi says in between bites, “but that’s to be expected, I guess.”

Kyoutani hums, not looking up from his food.

“She’s really gone now, you know. I don’t feel her anymore.”

Kyoutanis puts his fork down.

“I know. I don’t feel her anymore either.” His voice cracks and he buries his head in his hands. “How can something be a part of your life for 16 years and then suddenly disappear? How is that any fair?” 

Kyoutani shakes with silent sobs while Iwaizumi gets up to comfort him.

“It’s okay, Kyoutani. It’s okay to be sad,” He says, while the still seated Kyoutani wraps his arms around Iwaizumi’s waist and shoves his face into his stomach, making the older boy’s shirt wet with his tears. 

Kyoutani takes a shaky breath. “Don’t leave me alone tonight.”

Iwaizumi rubs Kyoutani’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

\------------------

“Thanks a lot, Iwaizumi. I know it was kinda weird… and I also got snot on your shirt... but I really appreciate it.” Kyoutani awkwardly rubs the back of his neck.

Iwaizumi chuckles while putting on his shoes. “It’s no problem. But if I’m gonna be spending more nights here, you’re gonna need to restock those waffles.” Iwaizumi stands and puts on his coat. “Anyways, when should I- what’s with that look?”

“Come here,” Kyoutani whispers, and tugs him down by the lapels on his jacket to clash their mouths together. 

Iwaizumi stands in shock for a short moment before moving his lips against Kyoutani, who grips his waist tightly, like he needs an anchor.

Kyoutani is way too aggressive and using way too much teeth, but Iwaizumi can’t bring himself to stop the younger man.

That is until his lip starts to bleed.

“Relax,” Iwaizumi says and pushes an embarrassed Kyoutani away. 

“I’m sorry, I’m bad at shit like this…”

“It’s okay, we can practice more tonight.” Iwaizumi winks.

Kyoutani turns bright red. 

“Get the hell out, oh my god… never wink at me ever again.” 

“Aha, don’t push me out you little shit!” Iwaizumi shouts while trying to resist Kyoutani’s shoving.

Kyoutani smiles. “I’ll see you tonight, Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi quickly grabs the other man’s chin and gives him a quick kiss before he leaves. 

“See you tonight.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you to [Rachel](https://twitter.com/ramazingweeb) and [Ness](https://twitter.com/akaashiswhore) for reading it over <3! I wanted to write more for hq halloweek but... writing is hard... ;D
> 
> feel free to scream with me about iwakyou on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/languidgold) !


End file.
